


Revelation

by Merilsell



Series: Lenyaverse: Sidestories [8]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Background Relationships, Female Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, Novelization, POV Morrigan, Pre-Dark Ritual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 09:59:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16015580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merilsell/pseuds/Merilsell
Summary: Do what you must and never hesitate, my child. Remember your purpose.Morrigan recalled these words spoken by her mother, not long before leaving the Wilds with both Wardens so long ago. Ironically, she now needed to remember them in order to protect herself against her mother, should she return. And Flemeth would return and try to take over her body, this was as certain as the sun rising each morning. So why did she hesitate so much? Why couldn't she approach the whole necessity with a more factual mindset, as she needed to do?---------------------------------Morrigan-centric ficlet; pre-dark ritual proposal. Novelization of the Revelation comic, written by David Gaider and illustrated by Aimo. Link to it is to find in the notes.





	Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my longfic "Of Elves and Humans" but can be read on its own. Lenya Mahariel is the Warden in this story and in an active relationship with Alistair, who did not become king at the Landsmeet. Novelization of the Revelation comic, thus this fic/scene is set pre Dark Ritual proposal, timeline-wise. 
> 
> http://blog.bioware.com/2010/03/01/dragon-age-the-revelation-comic/

Morrigan leaned her back against the cool stone wall and stared out the hallway's window into the slowly darkening sky. Since these fools of companions had retired to their rooms in Redcliffe Castle, everything around her had grown quiet. Normally, she sought this quiescence, needed it, but now it only gave her too much opportunity to think.   
  
_ I fear there isn't any time left to wait for their arrival. _   
  
Much as she tried not to acknowledge the meaning those words entailed, Riordan's sentence persisted in swirling through her mind again and again in a maddening fashion. A little voice inside even mocked her optimism, her daring to hope for another solution to arise. And it was right, all things considered. She was a fool. A simpering fool too guided by her emotions and in caring for –   
  
The air in the hallway shifted, catching her attention. The foul reek of burned darkspawn flesh still lingered in the air, like acid in her nose. Morrigan knew long before steps resounded on the marbled ground that someone was coming her way, and she briefly considered disappearing. Not that she had a place she could go, since the one person's presence she found endurable was also currently the one she dreaded most. She must do this, or leave tonight, she knew. But, how could she ever and –   
  
"What are you doing here?" Great, of all the people in this castle, it had to be that oaf crossing her way.   
  
"Tis a public hallway," Morrigan answered with the same amount of disdain. "In case you failed to notice, you idiot."   
  
Out of his armor, he was only dressed in a simple tunic and breeches. The towel slung around his broad shoulders nearly fell to the ground as he shrugged. "Yes, well... In any case, we march on to Denerim tomorrow.  _ Again _ . So, sleeping would actually be more sensible than standing about in a hallway. If you witches sleep, that is. Or maybe you turn into a cat and chase mice instead? That might be fun, too."   
  
Morrigan embraced herself, more out of necessity to keep her hands occupied than seeking comfort. The urge to push him out of the window he was so conveniently standing in front of felt suddenly overwhelming. Not that giving in to this impulse would solve any of her current problems, other than providing herself relief from his presence in a more...  _ permanent  _ way. As alluring as this prospect seemed, it would, in fact, rather worsen the position for herself and... her. She knew Lenya and her infuriatingly stubborn ways and what she would do with undoubted certainty. No, she couldn't risk it, nor herself.  _ Especially  _ not herself.  _ When  _ had she stopped caring about herself first and foremost and started putting the importance of her survival before her own? How could that happen?   
  
_ Do what you must and never hesitate, my child. Remember your purpose. _   
  
Morrigan recalled these words spoken by her mother, not long before leaving the Wilds with both Wardens so long ago. Ironically, she now needed to remember them in order to protect herself against her mother, should she return. And Flemeth would return and try to take over her body, this was as certain as the sun rising each morning. So why did she hesitate so much? Why couldn't she approach the whole necessity with a more factual mindset, as she needed to do?   
  
Maybe one of the reasons was that just mere minutes had passed since Alistair had appeared next to her and it was already more than she could bear. The thought of getting  _ any  _ closer than that made her skin crawl. It was a notion – perhaps the only one- they shared in full accordance.   
  
"What are you looking at?" Too late she noticed how her eyes had lingered on him, how he recoiled under her stare. "Stop that, it's creepy."   
  
There was yet another one still – and Morrigan hated to admit it – their mutual care for Lenya. Not in the way he did, of course, with all of his slobbering, lovesick antics she still couldn't comprehend anyone could endure. Deciding their talk to be over with her not answering, Alistair turned to go.   
  
"Alistair, if asking a friend to do something terrible might help, would you do it?"   
  
That did stop him in his tracks. "What? You want advice? From  _ me _ ?" Turning once more, his mouth twisted into a triumphant smirk. Oh, how she  _ hated  _ him. "What's next? The ground opening up and spitting out another of your relatives for a family visit?"   
  
On second thought, maybe she could set him on fire, just a  _ little  _ bit. "Ugh. How is Lenya capable of enduring your presence will be an eternal mystery to me."   
  
"Funny, that. She told me the same thing not long ago, but in jest. Unlike you." The smirk in his face turned into something cruel. "Maybe she stays because she loves me. Something you have no idea of whatsoever. After all, you care for no one but yourself."   
  
"I do care!" Morrigan burst out before she could stop herself, and loathed herself the moment the words left her lips. Heat crept up her cheeks and worsened the situation for her. "Not for you, anyway. But for–"   
  
"Lenya." He finished her sentence, unbidden.   
  
Morrigan looked away, not able to withstand seeing the mockery in his face. Or, the sight of his face in general. "Yes," she breathed, nearly inaudible. Her fingers curled into the flesh of her arms in the need to hold on to something before recoiling at the meaning of this notion. Her shoulders still tense, she let go of her arms and stared at him with all the defiance she could muster, bracing herself for the mockery... that did  _ not  _ came.   
  
"If I thought it would help, absolutely," he said instead, his expression of disdain replaced by sincerity. And that was perplexing, as well, maybe most of all, given the circumstances. "We can use all the help we can get. To answer your question, that is."   
  
"I... see," Morrigan managed to say after a moment of speechless silence and, even then, the words sounded alien to her own ears, too frail by far. She whirled away from his questioning stare, from all it entailed, of what she had to do. Waited for him to leave, to go away and leave her alone. No longer caring, he did, until his steps became only a mere distant echo on the stone. She would not crumble, she told herself, and yet she did. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes and she wiped them away impatiently.   
  
_ Weakness _ .   
  
She was such a fool.   
  
Her sight blurred by tears that infuriatingly would not stop, she looked up the steps to her room, where she would be.   
  
"You knew it would come to this, didn't you? It had to," Morrigan whispered to no one in particular, but with her mother in mind. Then, shifting her thoughts to her, the one and only friend she had ever known, she added even more quietly, "I'm sorry," and moved forward.


End file.
